Alarm device for clocks



June 27, 1933. A. J. BAL-rsolsv ALARM DEVICE FOR CLOCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet l f Filed March 2, 1951 INVENTOR nde; Jsozs ATTORNEYS I l :lill

June 27, 1933.

ALARM DEVICE FOR CLOCKS Filed March 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS A. J. BALTsols f 1,916,033

Patented June 27, 1933 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, i

ALEXANDER J.`BALT`SOIS, vOF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK ALARM DEVICE FOR CLOCKS J Application. le. March 2, 1931. Serial No. 519,548.

This invention relates to improvements in clocks, and has especial reference to alarm devices for clocks and indicating means therefor.

The invention contemplates the provision of means in conjunction with parts of a clock7 to the end, that an alarm will be given regularly and continue Ito sound for a predetermined interval of time; that the alarm after being started may be stopped at will to shorten the interval of sounding; that an indicator or On sign will be brought into registry with a sight openingin the dial of the clock while Winding the spring of the device; that an indicator or Ofi sign will be brought into registry with said sight opening with the stopping of the alarm; that the alarm will sound duringvthe time it requires to change from the On sign to the Oli sign; and that an indicator. or Silent sign may bebrought into registry with said sight opening and at'the saine time render the alarm device inactive. A further object of the invention is the provisionin a' clock of a spring actuated means which is common to the time movenientand the alarm movement. Y

Wlth the foregoing and other objects in view7 the invention resides in the combinations7 constructions and operations of the parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in.

Fig.,8 is a 'view' of the Zalarm tra-in and" verge Fig. The

9 is a view of the indicator train.

present invention involves a clock works with certain improvements to be here-lk Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view showingV .inafter 'fully described. The cloclr` works vhave combined therewith an alarm mechanism or movement. The time movement or mechanism and the alarm movement or mechanism are operated by a spring which is 55 common to both the time movement and the alarm movement. In the drawings the watch works are indicated generally at 10 and include the front and rear plates 1l and 12 held inV spaced relation. clock is arranged in front of the plate 11, and

a portion of the-said dial is shown in/Fig. 5

anddesignated 13. The dial 13 has asight opening 14 therein for a purpose' tobe hereinafter explained.k In accordance withone 65 of tlie'main features of the inventionthere is provided a spiral spring 15 which has one end thereof secured as at 16 to an arbor 17 and its opposite end secured as at 18 to a drum 19. The arbor 17 is supported for rotation 70 by, suitable bearings, respectively, on the i plates 1l and 12. The drum 19 is mounted for rotation on the arbor 17 .Y The drum has a toothed wheel 20 which operates -tlie time lmovement.V A ratchet wheel 21 is fiXedly 1 secured to the arbor17 by a screw'22 which extends through a hub A23 Vintegral with the wheel 21.v A toothed wheel 24 is mounted for rotation on the hub 23 and is held in place vby a collar 25 secured in place on the hub 23 80 bythe screw 22. The wheel v24 carries a spring actuated pawl 26 which coacts with the teeth of the ratchet wheel2l in winding the spring 15. The arbor 17 has secured thereto a winding key 27. The spring 15 is wound by manipulating or turning the key 27 in a. clockwise direction lookingtoward the spring from the rear. The spring 15 when wound causes the drum 19"and its wheel 2O to rotate in a clockwise vdirection and the wheel 24 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction looking` toward the-spring 15 from the rear.' It is to be' understood that the wheel 20 in operating the time movement willy beresisted to the extent required forV operating the same, and that the wheel 24 will rotate only when the alarm movement is released. Q f

On reference'to Fig. 8 it will be apparent that the wheel 24 operates the alarm train 28 The dial of the and lthat this alarm train operates the striker or verge 29. The verge 29 has connected therewith members 31, 32 and 33 for purposes to be explained. p

It is to be understood that the alarm mechanism Will include the usual settingand re-L ber 33 and thereby allowing the alarm mecha-v nism to operate.

In accordance With another important fea-V ture of the invention there is provided Yan indicator 36 Which is mounted for rocking movement on an arbor 37 supported for rock ing movement by 4the plates 11 and 12. TheA indicator 36 consists of a radial arm 38 having an enlarged end 39 Which surrounds the. arbor 37 and disks 40 and 41 on the opposite end of the arm. The disks 40 and 41 have distinguishing indicia or markings thereon,

in the present instance, consisting of the Word On on the disk 40, and the Wordv Off on the disk l41. .The disks 40 and 41 are positioned lso as to be moved intol and out of registry With the opening 14 in the dial 13. Means is provided for manually operating the indicator v36 tobring the disks40 and 41 into and out of registry with the opening 14 and also yto stop and release the verge 29.

The said means includes adisk member 42 Which is lixedly mounted on the arbor 37. A bowed `spring 43 surrounds the 4arbor 37 ybetween theend 39'of the indicator 36 and the member 42 to set up frictional engagement of thezmember 42 with thek indicator 36. The

provision of the spring 43 will cause the in.

dicator f 36 to move with the disk member 42=but vvvill" also allovv the disk member 42 to move with respect to the indicator 36. The

y indicator 36 is limited in its movement in opposite directions With respectto the disk member V42 by pins 44 and 45 carried by the disk member 42, which pins are encountered by the arm 38. The indicator 36 is also limited in `its movementin relation to the dial 13 inforder to insure the registration of the 'disks 40 and 41 Withthe opening 14 in theY dial.' This is accomplished by an armor f stop 46 integral With` the end 39 of the indicator arm 38 and stop pins 47 and 48 on i the plate 1l. A spring 49 has one end thereof 'connected -With the disk member 42 and its opposite `end bears on a pin 50 carried by the arm 46. The spring constantly acts to yieldably retain the arm 38 of the indicator in engagementjwith the 'pin 44. The disk membery 42 has ya toothed sector 51 secured `vto -orformedintegral therewith. The sector v lccroperates with an indicator train 52 With the arbor 1 7. pinion-54Which is under the influence of a Which is operated by a'pinion 53 rotatable The train 52 includes a spider spring 55. The pinion 54 is positioned f for meshing engagement With the toothed sector 51. By reason ofthe use ofthe sprin 55, the pinion 54 will be caused to rotate wit the train 52 to operate the sector 51, and also` i Vto allow the pinion 54 to rotate freely With-` `key 27 is manipulated to Wind the spring 15,. this Will cause the train 52 to operate through the Vintervention of the arbor 17 andpinion 53, and, as a consequence, the pinion 54 Will impart movement to the sector 51 and. disk member`42. The indicator 36 will therefore vmove With the disk member 42 by reason of the spring 43 thereby bringing the disk 40 in registry With the opening 14. The On signl Will therefore appear in the opening, indicating that the alarm is on. The indicator 36 Yis limited to this position by the arm 46 encountering the pin 48. When the member 34 isreleased soas to disengage itself from the member 33, the verge 29 will be released for operation 'by the spring 15 through `.the intervention of the train 28. This Will cause the alarm to be sounded for `a predetermined period. It will also be apparent that the train 52 Will operate causing 4 the On ydisk to be moved out of registry with lthe opening 14, land the Off disk 41 to be moved into registry with the opening. 14. rlhis is `accomplished through the intervention of the sector 5l, disk member 42, spring 43 and the arml 38 of the indicator 36. The g indicator 36 is limited to movement to its 0E position by the arm 46 encountering the stop 47. At this time a pin 56 carried by the arbor 410"' thereby stopping the operation of theV alarm d 37 engages the member 31 of the verge 29 mechanism.

It Will be vunderstood that the arbor V37 'may berotated manually by a handle 57 exteriorly of the clock case to move .the indica-` Y tor 36 into and out of its on and 0Hv positions.` It Will therefore be understood that the' han-y dle 57 may be manipulated to stop the alarm mechanism after it has been started automatically so as to shorten the period of operation of thev alarm. The spring 49 insures the meshing engagement of the sector 51 With the pinion 54 when the indicator is in the On position. If desired, an additional spring 58 may be employed to help the spring 49.V f

If desired, and as shown in the present instance, the alarm mechanismmay be rendered inactiveby additional means which also indi- Cates that the alarm mechanism has been nected therewith a manipulator 62 which eX- tends exteriorly of the case of the clock. The pivot 60 also has connected therewith a member 63 which is engageable with the member 3Q of the verge 29 to render the alarm mech. anism inactive. It will now be understood that when the member 63 is swung by manipulating the handle 62, the disk 61 will be brought into registry with the opening 14 in the dial 13. The member 63 may be disengaged at will. The alarm mechanism will operate in accordance with the other features of the invention as set forth above.

I claim:

l. The combination with a clock alarm device, of an indicator member mounted for movement into and out of indicating position, means operable by -said device to move said indicator member into and out of the indicating position, and means connected with said indicator member operable to move said indicator member into its indicating position and to render the alarm device inactive while the indicator member is in its indicating position.

2. The combination with a clock alarm device including a vibrating clapper or the like; of an indicator member mounted for movement into and out of an indicating position, means operable by said device to vmove said indicator member into and out of the indicating position,nadditional means connected with said indicator member manually operable to move said indicator member into and out of its indicating position, and means forming a. part of the last named means engageable with said clapper to render said alarm device inactive while said indicator' member is in its indicating position.

. 3. An indicator for a clock alarm device including the combination of 4arotatable member, an indicator member, means having frictional engagement with said indicator member to `move said indicator member into different positions, means in frictional engagement with said rotatable member, and means connected with said first means which coacts with the second means to move said indicator member into different positions in response to the rotation of said rotatable member. n

Il. An indicator for a clock alarm device including the combination of a rotatable member, an indicator member, a pinion in frictional contact with said rotatable member to rotate therewith and to rotate relative thereto by overcoming the frictional contact, and a toothed sector in frictional engagement with said indicator member which coacts with said pinion to move said indicator member into dierent positions in response to the rotation of said rotatable member. y

5. The combination with an alarm clock having a dial having a sight opening there# in; of an indicator member mounted for movement into and out of registry with said opening, means operable by the alarm mechanism of the clock to move said indicator p member into and out of registry with said opening, and manually operable means adapted to move said indicator member into and out of registry with said opening independent of said alarm mechanism operated means, and said manually operable means having provision for controlling the operation of said alarm mechanism. v

6. In combination with the alarm mechanism of a clock, an indicator mounted for rocking movement, fixed stops, means on said indicator' engaoeable with said stops to limit the movement of the indicator, operating means having frictional engagement with said indicator to cause the rockingmovemcnt thereof but allowing movement of said indicator in relation to said operating means, resilient means acting on the indicator and operating means having a normal tendency tourge said indicator to move in one direction in relation to said operating means, and means carried by said operating means to control the operation of said alarm mechanism.

7. ln combination in an alarm clock, an indicator' for the alarm mounted for rocking movement, fixed stops, means on said indicator engageable 'with said stops to limit themovement of the indicator, operating means having frictio-nal engagement withsai'd indicator to cause the rocking movement thereof but allowing movement of said indicator in relation to said operating means resilient V means acting on the indicator and operating means having a normaltendency to urge said indicator to move in one direction in relation to said operating means.

8. In combination in an alarm clock, an indicator for the alarm mounted for rocking movement, iiXed stops, means on said indica. tor engageable with said stops to limit the movement of the-indicator, operating means having frictional engagement with said indicator to cause the rocking movement thereof but allowing movement of said indicator in relation to said operating means, resilient means acting on the indicator and operating means having `a normal tendency to urge said indicator to move in one direction in relation to said operating means, and a toothed sec- -tor connected with said operating means to cooperate with said alarm.

ALEXANDER J. BALTsors, 

